Poneris stated that public restrooms have more "high-touch" contamination points than any other area of a facility.

He noted that in light of all these issues — the tough economy, doing more with less, grave concerns about swine flu and the many contamination points in restrooms — cleaning professionals and managers must step back, reevaluate their restroom cleaning systems and see how they can keep standards and appearance high throughout this difficult period.

Poneris added that improving restroom cleaning effectiveness and protecting the health of a facility is a top-down process — it starts at the top, with high-level administrators setting the tone for overcoming obstacles and meeting challenges to help foster a healthier, more hygienically clean facility.

Angelo Poneris has been involved with the professional cleaning industry for more than a decade. He is currently a customer service representative with Valley Distributors, based in Hamilton, Ohio.

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